Rowhedge

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Rowhedge is a village in the Colchester borough of Essex, England, about 3 miles southeast of Colchester town centre. It sits on the west bank of the tidal River Colne, with Wivenhoe opposite and Fingringhoe to the south. A flood barrier on the Colne was completed in 1994, helping protect Rowhedge and nearby towns.

The main street, High Street, runs along the river and used to link two shipbuilding yards: the Upper Yard to the north and the Lower Yard to the south (once called Up Street and Down Street). As shipbuilding declined, housing estates were built in both areas. The village’s history is tied to the river, with maritime work, oyster and scallop fishing, and crew duties on ships dating back many generations. In 1884 the Essex earthquake damaged several buildings, including the village school clock. Colchester Rowing Club began in Rowhedge in 1896. Rowhedge had its own brewery until 1918; in the 19th century there were many pubs, but by 2012 only two remained.

In 1909, Jack Humphrey of Halstead built an early seaplane-like craft to win a prize; after several attempts it was broken up and its floats ended up at Rowhedge Ironworks. Before World War I, lifeboats and small oil tankers were built in the yards and sent to far-off contracts, including for the Sudan. Sand and gravel extraction began in the 1930s and increased after World War II to repair bomb-damaged buildings in London. During the war, Mulberry Harbour components were built in Rowhedge and nearby. By the 1950s there was little formal apprenticeship training. The port was busiest in the 1980s during the miners’ strike and for various goods, but it closed in 2001. Since then, fishing and leisure sailing are the main activities.

Rowhedge hosted a Flower Show at nearby meadowland, and a long-running Regatta goes back to the 18th century, with royal patronage because the captain of the King’s racing yacht was from Rowhedge. The Regatta has sometimes declined and been revived; at its peak it drew dozens of boats. The event has included HMS Ganges cadets, tug-of-war, a greasy pole, and a band; on one occasion a Royal Navy minesweeper appeared. A raft race between Rowhedge and Brightlingsea began in 1986, with teams from the Army and British Telecom taking part. The Regatta was revived in 1962 and again in 2002.